If you need picture rail moldings for your building project or home renovation, trust Mouldings One for high-quality millwork. We offer a wide selection of picture rail profiles and can also mill custom designs from drawings, blueprints, or existing samples. We frequently work with architects who are restoring historic buildings. View our picture rail profiles below or request a custom millwork quote through our online form.
What is Picture Rail?
Traditionally, picture rail molding served a practical function in homes. As the name implies, picture rail was used to hang paintings on a wall. This style of molding saw its peak use in the Victorian era among New England townhouses; however, it’s still widely used today in modern homes for its original purpose of hanging wall art.
A similar type of rail, the dado rail, also runs horizontally against the wall. The primary difference between the two is that the picture rail is usually installed around 12 inches from the ceiling, while the dado rail is more centrally located on a wall. Picture rails are overall more dramatic, though you’ll need to have the wall space for them.
Why Install Picture Rail Moulding?
Picture rail molding looks fantastic on its own, but you can also use it to hang pictures without ruining your walls with nails or screws. This also frees you from limitations with where you want to place your pictures or other wall hangings since you can simply reposition or switch out art with ease.
Picture rail wood moulding is also excellent for those who want a vintage look in their homes. It goes well with simple, classic designs and can also evoke a Victorian feel that instantly ups a space’s charm.
Another reason you might want to consider purchasing picture rail moulding is to avoid the task of hunting for studs. Even if you don’t mind hammering your paintings into the wall, you’ll still have to find the stud before you can start. And there are also no worries about accidentally getting into wires or water pipes either.
In modern homes, picture rail is also often used to create a dividing line between two-tone walls – most typically with a darker tone used below the picture rail, and a lighter tone, like white, used above it. Shop our selection of picture rail profiles below to find the perfect match for your project!
